Lopau Mapuinuumanaia remembers the day his village in southeastern Samoa was torn apart. On 29 September 2009, the 59-year- old farmer was up early planting banana and taro seedlings when he felt the earth shake violently.

The spears flew towards the youth on the hill, whistling as they cut through the air. Grinning, Queen Medb’s general drew his sword, eager to take back to his Queen the head of this warrior whom they called the Hound of Ulster. He had no doubt his spears would find their mark.

On the 11-14th June 2018, the inaugural Pacific Philosophy Conference (I.P.P.C.) was held in Suva, Fiji. The Pacific Theological College, the University of the South Pacific, Pacific Islands Association of N.G.Os, and Fiji National University were the four hosting partners who sponsored the event.

Samoa’s Ava Exports is looking promising, with exports expected to increase in the next couple of years. Ava exports was Samoa’s second largest export commidity from 1998 to 2001 until some European countries led by Germany imposed restrictions on the Pacific Kava Trade. Samoa’s exports of Ava in 1998 was just under $20m.

Since closing shop this year, Yazaki Samoa Ltd has left many former employees searching for jobs; a problem that Ah Liki Investments Ltd has come to aid by opening its doors and granting employment to those affected by this closure.

The smiles on their faces said it all. Although many of them were in pain, W.B.O heavyweight champion, Lupesoliai Laauli Joseph Parker, brought temporary relief when he paid an unexpected visit on Friday.

The Samoa Victim Support Group has been awarded the Samoa Public Service Innovation & Excellence Team Award for ‘Most Effective Collaborative Partnership’, during the celebration of the Public Service Day.

The Samoa Cocoa Industry Development Initiative (S.C.I.D.I.) funded by the New Zealand government, had a very busy week last week. The Samoa Cocoa Industry Association (S.C.I.A.) Establishment Committee met for the first time to discuss the incorporation timetable and the future scope for S.C.I.A.

The 8 year old accepted her mother’s award from the Public Service Commission as Mrs. Vaatolu is in Savai’i on official business. For Vaatolu’s outstanding services, she is the recipient of the Community Participation Initiative Award.

While the celebration of Samoa’s culture and traditions as per the Teuila Festival for 2017 has come to an end, the empowered nofotane women used the festival to enjoy the socio-economic returns from being empowered.

Just four weeks into the new year and 2019 already has the hallmarks of another busy 12 months ahead – if events in recent weeks are any indication.
The Government set the agenda in renewable energy in the last fortnight – in Samoa’s strive to become 100 per cent reliant on clean energy 2025 – by commissioning multimillion tala hydro plants on Upolu and Savai’i.

The issue of the minimum wage is back on the agenda. While most people agree that $2.30 an hour is not enough, the Government says the decision to increase is totally dependent on the private sector and whether they can afford it. What do you think? And if there were an increase, why? Soli Wilson asked in today’s Street Talk and this is what people said:

Think a minute...Do you know the secret to a successful business? Even if you do not own your own business, these principles work in both your professional and personal life. Following these priorities will guide you to success in this business called life.

Talofa Samoa!
In the first week of last year, I was looking for one of METI ‘champions’: someone, who had been following the whole foods, plant based (WFPB) diet that METI promotes and who had been successful in reversing his diabetes condition, which had been crippling him for years.